Saving Blaze
by DarkBlaze14
Summary: [ON INDEFINITE HIATUS] Silver The Hedgehog was the arrogant protector of a humble world. His fall from grace was induced only by selfishness, lies, and daft folly. And yet, even in his darkest hour, he still had the gall to give himself a second chance. Silvaze.
1. Chapter 1

It was a calm autumn night. Two figures stirred the air within a quiet gym in the heart of their city. A purple cat and a white hedgehog, with eyes locked on one another, strafed in a circle about the open area. The squeaks from their sneakers echoed in the empty space; half of the lights above were turned off to provide a muted, serious tone to the scene. Padded, gloved hands jabbed at the space between the two, cutting through the silence like sweat-drenched daggers.

"Just let me know when you get tired," said Silver, the albino one. He landed three quick blows on the feline's raised forearms, "I could do this all night."

"As could I." replied Blaze, his friend. She mirrored Silver's previous attack, "You're not the only fighter here, you know. We have a world to keep safe."

Silver chuckled, "Ah, come on, you gotta' mix it up a little." The cat promptly sent two jabs to his blocking wrists, followed by an uppercut to his elbow. Almost as a part of the same motion, she spun around, raised her leg, and sent a kick flying straight to Silver's face. He ducked at the last moment, however, so that her heel merely grazed the tips of his quills. He smiled behind his black mouthpiece, "Now _that's_ more like it."

The hedgehog thrusted his fist forward, only to have Blaze dodge it and swat his arm away. The two strafed some more, breathing heavily. "You're awfully confident not to wear a mask against me," Blaze remarked, with a sly grin. "are you certain I won't strike you?" The question was met with a lazy, playful kick to the ribs and another chuckle. Silver tried to land a powerful punch on her padded headgear, but Blaze stepped aside, leaving her with an open shot. She threw a punch right at his jaw.

Silver raised his opposite hand, and halted her fist with his telekinesis just inches away from his face. "Yeah, I'm _certain_." He took a few more deep breaths, and dropped her arm to her side. Sweat was pouring off of both of their bodies. He removed his mouth guard, "Good session, Blaze."

She raised her brow with a hint of sass, and turned to walk over to a bench off to the side, where their bags were. "You do realize I _would_ use my powers, but I don't want to _incinerate_ you. Right?"

"Yeah, yeah." Silver followed her over, and the two of them removed their gear.

Blaze glanced down at her phone, "Only ten o'clock?"

"So what?"

She shrugged, "If I recall correctly, you claimed that you could _'go all night'._ "

Silver zipped up his backpack, and began putting his jacket on. "Yeah, well, I remembered something I had to do."

Blaze leaned against the wall, placing her hand on her hip. "What, the city's hero has to go heat his pillows before crawling in his adjustable bed?"

He smirked, "Hey now, I've always offered you the guest house. And that bed is the greatest invention of all time."

The feline smiled, and slung her bag over her shoulders. "I'm very happy where I'm at." she said, ghosting past him as she made her way to the exit. "Goodnight, Silver."

"Stay safe, Blaze." the hedgehog called back. He sighed, and ran his hands over his quills before replaying some of the training session in his mind. Eventually, he began walking towards the large double doors, taking one last look around the gym. He smiled, and shook his head before cutting the rest of the lights off, and locking the door behind him on his way out.

* * *

 **Alright guys, so in an effort to actually keep me writing and engaged on here, I've decided to reboot my previous fic, _Searching For The Light_. Basically, this story will be updated in very short chapters (probably 500-1k words each), and I'll try to keep consistently doing them so I don't fall out of practice. And along the way, I'll be re-writing a story that desperately needed a re-write! It's a win-win. Won't that be fun?**

 **If you did read SFTL, this story will be vastly different from a content standpoint, but will follow the same sorta' progression. I can't even guarantee the ending will be the same, we'll just have to see. ;) Hopefully I'll stay true to my word, and update this once or twice a week.**

 **Thanks for reading! Love you all! Reviews are much appreciated!**


	2. Chapter 2

Silver soon arrived at his ebony door, and turned the golden lock with his key. The space inside of the house was much larger than any one man could fill up with his thoughts. Grandiose columns paved the way to the living room, which was adorned with modern, deep red furniture. A sparkling glass chandelier hung high above.

"Gini, I'm home!" Silver called, placing his bag on a chair nearby.

A stocky, rolling robot turned a corner from another room. It was painted completely black with the exception of a few green hoops around its body. Its head was a monitor, which displayed a thin, horizontal line across it. It fluctuated as the robot spoke, "Evening, sir! Train well today?"

Silver started towards the stairs, "Yeah, it was alright."

"Expecting company tonight, sir?"

"Yep." the hedgehog called over his shoulder, beginning to ascend.

The monitor tilted to resemble a nod, "I'll pour some wine!"

"Red, please."

Silver returned downstairs around a half-hour later, his fur and quills still wet from taking a shower. He wore nothing but a pair of athletic shorts. He glanced toward the two full glasses placed on a tray in the middle of the coffee table, and turned to his servant, "Thank you, Gini. You can power down for the night."

Gini flashed a happy emote, and turned to motor away. "Thank you, sir! What time would you like to wake up in the morning?"

"As late as possible." Silver smirked, sitting himself on his couch and unlocking his phone. He preoccupied himself this way until the slam a car door sounded outside, which perked his ears up and brought a smile to his face. He immediately ran to the mirror by the door, and worked at his quills to space them evenly. Three knocks. He took a deep breath.

On the other side of the door stood a slender, baby-blue colored fox with a white muzzle and black ears. She wore dark blue skinny jeans, and a white tank top. She smiled at him, "Hey, Silv."

"Hello, Skye." he nearly growled, leaning up against the door frame, trying to paint an impressive image of himself. He gestured with his head, "Come on inside."

"Uh, actually," she kneaded her wrist behind her back, and stared at her feet. "I got a call in for a big job tonight, I have to be there pretty soon."

Silver took a step back, and blushed slightly. "O-oh, that's fine. I understand."

Skye leaned in close, and twirled his chest fluff with her finger. "Don't worry, I'll make up for it the next time around, m'kay?" She looked up at him with an irresistible stare. Her eyes matched her name.

"Sure thing. Go on ahead."

"I'll see you in a few days, then?"

Silver smiled, "I'll be here." She turned to leave, "Hey, wait," he stopped her, "can I have a kiss?"

Skye giggled, shook her head, and stepped back up to the door. She leaned in, and gave Silver a quick peck on the lips. "Okay, I _really_ need to go now."

"Have fun."

She waved goodbye as she sped out of Silver's driveway, leaving him alone once more. He shut the door, turned the latch, and let out a deep sigh. He made his way back over to the couch, and stared at the two glasses before him. Once he sat down, he pulled out his phone again, and grabbed one of the drinks. And after he finished that one, he drank the other. Sulking, he poured himself an extra glass, and made his way upstairs to his all-too-large bed, where he would likely lie awake for several more hours.


	3. Chapter 3

The next morning, Silver jerked awake to the sound of his watch's alarm, coupled with the vibrations of an incoming phone call. He groaned as he turned over, and cursed at the sight of the clock on his nightstand. He brought his wrist to his face, and hit a button. "Yeah?" was his greeting, slightly muffled by a pillow.

"Silver, we have a situation." answered Blaze on the other end.

"You know it's like _actually_ nine in the morning, right?"

"Meet me outside." The call ended.

Silver sat up, holding his head as the sunlight from the window stung his eyes. "Gini!" he called, "Get me my suit!"

The robot's voice sounded over an intercom, "On it, sir!"

" _Meet me outside,_ " Silver mocked his friend's command beneath his breath. He disappeared into his bathroom, wasted no time in brushing his teeth, and came out wearing only his boxers. Robotic hands hanging from the ceiling tossed the hedgehog his desired attire: a dark, slightly armored, two-piece combat suit. Silver approached a mirror, and used his powers to latch it onto himself. A slight v-neck design allowed some of his chest fluff to poke out near his chin, and the teal accents on the suit lit up from his kinetic energy. He smirked at the results, and turned away.

He caught the corner of Blaze's eye as he quit his house. She turned to face him, and froze. "What is _that_?" she asked, suppressing a laugh.

"A battle suit!" Silver extended his limbs, looking the outfit over for himself. "I made it. Pretty cool, huh?"

"You look ridiculous."

He chuckled, "Aw, you're just saying that 'cause you're jealous. Don't worry, I'll make you one, too. I'll just need your..." he ran his eyes up and down her body, " _dimensions_." That comment was met with a quick pull of one of his quills, " _Ow_! What was that for?"

Blaze rolled her eyes, "Just listen. There's been a break-in at the bank on Albrighton; three armed men-"

" _What_?" Silver interrupted her, "You mean I put this thing on for a _robbery_?"

The feline held out a finger, " _Shush_. Shadow said that he was sending someone out to place a tracker on their vehicle." A small red dot pinged on her watch's screen, which was displaying a map of the city. "Ah, that appears to be them."

Silver approached her to take a look for himself, but the roaring of an engine in the distance made his ear twitch. He looked to Blaze, "Ya' think?"

* * *

The car ripped through the city's streets, weaving in and out of traffic, side-swiping rails and other vehicles along the way. The thieves reached the city limit, but just as the tall buildings were beginning to taper off, a wall of Blaze's fire stretching across the road caused the driver to slam on his breaks. The flames eventually cleared to reveal Silver, who stood with his hands on his hips in front of the sedan, shaking his head. He casually made his way to the driver-side window, and gave it a knock. All three men were wearing black ski masks, menacingly staring back at the hedgehog as the window was rolled down.

"Do you know why I stopped you today, sir?" Silver asked the driver. The two passengers quickly drew guns, but Silver halted their movements with his powers. "Oh, no, no, no. We won't be doing any of that." he assured, removing each of the weapons' magazines and letting them fall to the floorboard. The two men were left dumbfounded. "Now look," Silver grunted as he lifted the entire car off the ground, and turned it back toward the city. He walked around the car, and approached the driver again. "I'm feeling generous today, so I'll give you a chance. You can drive back to the bank, return all the money, and only get a few years. _Or_ , you can-" The driver pulled out a can of pepper spray, and unloaded it in Silver's direction before speeding off. " _Ah, Jesus!_ " The hedgehog covered his face, and fell to his knees.

"Silver!" Blaze called, running over to him.

He angrily waved her off; although his vision was blurred, he threw his arms toward the sedan, and slapped his hands together. This caused the streetlights on either side of the road to collapse in front of the automobile, uprooting the surrounding sidewalk along with it. Silver then suspended the car in mid-air again, but much higher up than before. He flew upwards about thirty feet, and sat on the hood of the car to speak with the thieves.

"That was cute." Silver chuckled, still rubbing at his irritated eyes. "I got a joke for ya', have ya' heard the one about the three dumbasses who fell from the sky?" The six eyes in the car were wide open as fear set in amongst the robbers. Silver shrugged, "I thought I cut you guys a pretty good deal earlier. You brought this upon yourself. Life's like poker, gotta' know when to fold." Tension covered the area like a blanket. Hundreds were gathered below to watch everything unfold. Eventually, Silver yawned. "Alright, I'm gettin' bored." he gave them a wave and a smile, "Bye-bye now."

"No, please don't-!"

He released his grip on the car, and listened to the criminals' screams as they plummeted back to the surface. Silver intended on stopping their fall just before they landed, but at the last moment, he decided to rub his eyes again. The impact sent metal and pavement flying, resulting in a collective gasp from the crowd below. Police cars surrounded the deformed vehicle almost immediately. It wasn't until then that Silver surveyed the scene as a whole. From high above, he caught sight of the ruined street, the smoking sedan, Blaze's disapproving glare, and suddenly a wave of regret passed over him.

"Ah, dammit," he muttered to himself, " _that'll_ make headlines..."


	4. Chapter 4

Later that week, Silver entered his home late at night, exhausted but relieved to return. Gini stood waiting for him just inside, which pulled a confused glance from the hedgehog. The unenthusiastic news was that Silver had received a letter from the city council.

"You're not going to like it." Gini explained, following him to the couch. Silver rolled his eyes, sat his bag down, and tapped the robot's monitor a few times.

After reading the start of the message, Silver scrolled down to find its true purpose, which made him jump to his feet. "Fifty _thousand_ dollars?" he hissed, "You're kidding me!"

"For 'damages to city property'."

Silver growled, and began pacing around. " _Hell_ no! There's no way! How about they use some of that money I _saved_ from getting stolen, huh?"

Gini was hesitant to comment, "Um... I'm not entirely sure it works that way, sir."

Silver shook his head, "Well, I got some bad news for 'em. They're not getting it out of _me_. I'm not about to let them milk me for the money to re-pave the whole city. They can shove it, I've done way too much for these people for them to treat me like this."

"You might want to watch out for a lawsuit from those thieves, as well. I've heard rumors they'll try you for police brutality."

Silver narrowed his gaze, and angrily pointed a finger at Gini. "First off, I'm _not_ the police. And secondly, I-"

Suddenly, the doorbell rang, and Silver's aggression was subdued. He closed his eyes, exhaled, and turned around with a smile on his face. Skye was waiting for him, against the backdrop of millions of lights from the still-bustling city. Her smile was nearly as bright.

"Someone's been in the news lately." she remarked, accepting Silver's invitation inside.

"Yeah," he sighed, closing the door behind her. "I'd rather not talk about it."

Skye frowned, and approached him so that she could touch his chest. "Oh, I'm sorry, Silv." she claimed, "I promise I'll make it all better..."

Silver reached his arms around her, feeling the curves of her exposed lower back. "I would've showered before ya' got here, but I got back pretty late." he said, through a crooked grin. His hands began to descend.

"Same here," she looked up at him, with a false but beautiful innocence in her eyes, " _I thought we might do that together..._ "

* * *

The next morning, Skye removed herself from Silver's arms so that she could stretch her limbs, careful not to wake him up. The fox shifted to her feet, and quietly collected her clothes from the floor. As she finished, she noticed a small white envelope placed on the nightstand next to where she had been laying. She crept over to it.

"There's a little extra in there," Silver said, smiling up at her from across the bed. He radiated a calm, genuine happiness. "I know you've been having a rough time lately."

Skye was frozen in her position, surprised that she had awoken such a heavy sleeper. She looked to the envelope again, and finally grasped it, feeling it over with her fingers. Her words were solemn, "You didn't have to-"

"I know. Just take it." Silver's sleepy eyes began to close again, and before Skye could make any objection, the hedgehog rolled onto his back, adjusting himself for another bout of slumber.

The fox turned away from his peaceful grin, and started for the door, but Silver's voice halted her guilty strut. "Hey, Skye?" he lazily called, "You know you're more to me than just a... ya' know... right?"

Her lips curled up, but she could only hang her head. She was sure his eyes weren't following her, anyway. "Love you too, Silv." was her response as she quit the room.

Silver shifted his shoulders, and attempted to drift asleep once more, seemingly content with that answer. However, the alarm on his watch sounded not long after, jolting his eyes open again. "Jesus, every time..." he mumbled, bringing his wrist to his face to answer the call. He groaned, "Hedgehog residence."

"Silver," a deep, worn voice replied, "I want you to come in today. We need to talk."

The albino sat up, surprised to be speaking to someone other than Blaze. He wiped the sleep off his face, "Uh... y-yeah. Sure thing."

"See you in an hour." The call was ended, and Silver eventually rolled out of bed after gathering his sheepish thoughts.


	5. Chapter 5

Silver carefully entered the building to which he had been summoned: an obscure establishment just outside of the city's downtown area. He was nearly on time, which was an improvement compared to his usual punctuality. Of course, that stemmed from a frustrating way of life. He descended a flight of stairs, and approached the brightest door on a dimly-lit hallway.

A large table stood in the middle of the room, with several inviting chairs pushed out from beneath it. A taller, occupied chair was perched on the opposite side, facing a vast monitor that almost stretched from one wall to another. It showcased news clips from the incident a few days before.

"Ya' know, Silver..." The hero in question kneaded his forehead, and cursed beneath his breath. "For someone with enhanced neurological capabilities," the chair swung around, revealing a black hedgehog with red streaks in his quills. His expression was as condemning as his tone. " _you're pretty damn stupid_."

Silver bit his burning tongue, and sat down at the table. "Thanks for the input." he replied, showing his teeth.

"What the hell were you thinking? You could've-!"

Blaze cut into the conversation by stepping into the room, coffee in hand. She quickly surveyed the hostility between the two hedgehogs. "You called, Shadow?"

The ebony one sighed, and waved his hand in front of him. "Yes. Please, sit." he said, turning slightly so that he could see the monitor again.

"Don't drag her into this..." Silver grumbled in protest.

Shadow brushed those words aside with another gesture, and took a moment to settle down before speaking. "After what happened the other day, I think we need to discuss a few things." he turned to Silver again, "Back to my question: what were you thinking?"

Silver chuckled, "I guess I wasn't."

"Don't give me that bullshit."

"Well _excuse me_ for doing my job!"

Shadow leaned forward, gritting his teeth. "Your _job_ is to keep everyone _safe._ You protect your _world_ , your _city_ , and your _people_. You're not a weapon of mass destruction."

"Like you?" the albino smirked, clearly attempting to draw a reaction.

" _Silver_..." Blaze mumbled, giving him a nudge of disapproval.

Shadow nodded with a touch of malice, and took a moment to stare at Silver's equally spiteful eyes. He shifted so that he could see the monitor again, and hit a button on his remote. The screen showed a low-quality loop of what appeared to be a flashing streak of blue. However, when Shadow hit pause, it became clear that the blur was actually a hedgehog running at an incredible pace. "Silver, do you know who this is?" Shadow asked, finally adopting a mild tone.

Silver tilted his head, "Uh... not really."

"His name is Sonic. He was basically the you before you, but he didn't get the benefits like you. You remind me of him... foolish, arrogant." he allowed those words to settle for a moment, " _But_ , he was much more formidable than you are; I would know, I fought both with him and against him. And do you want to know why that is? It's because he cared more about protecting others than he did harming his opponents. Difficult to go up against."

"Where is he now?" Blaze asked, cutting into the tension between the two hedgehogs.

Shadow looked to her, releasing hints of somber memories through his eyes, and sighed. "He died a long time ago."

Silver laughed coldly, "Wow, _so_ _formidable_..."

"It was over a hundred years ago, you _idiot_! I should-!" Shadow caught those final words, and swallowed them before speaking again, "Feh... the point is, this guy was _better than you,_ and he couldn't save himself. I worry about you, Silver, I really do. You act quicker than you think, and that kind of mentality will get you killed."

Silver leaned back in his seat, "I appreciate it, but I've done things this way for a long time."

"I'm not asking you to change your ways, Silver." Shadow assured, placing his elbows on the table. "I'm asking you to _think_ more than you _run your mouth_. You need to realize that all of our lives are in _your_ hands; that includes mine, that includes Blaze's." he paused, "Now look, I'll foot the bill _this time_ , alright? Just, for God's sake, try not to lose your head in the future?"

Silver cocked a grin, and stood up. "I guess that's a fair trade."

"I don't want to be the one to bury you, Silver." Shadow pointed to him, "Don't make it happen."

"Yeah, yeah." the albino called over his shoulder, walking out of the room. Shadow and Blaze were left to shake their heads at one another, both lacking confidence that the elder's message had gotten through.


	6. Chapter 6

"I don't know," Blaze said, pausing her training to take a swig of water. Lightning flashed in the windows of the gymnasium, followed by a roar of thunder from the night sky. "I'm just saying that I wouldn't doubt it if you were."

"Are you serious?" Silver laughed, sending a few punches to the bag hanging before him. "I'm _not_ dating anyone."

"I didn't say _dating_." the cat walked to the other side of the bag, and began striking it as well. "You should see some of the things being reported about you. It's disgusting."

Silver adjusted his glove, "Yeah, well, it comes with the territory. How disgusting are we talking, here?"

Blaze's punches grew more powerful as she spoke between them, "I don't know. Prostitutes. Porn stars. A lot of slutty women have been linked with you."

Silver shrugged, "I know a lot of slutty women." The bag was kicked with enough force to swing it into Silver's stomach, nearly knocking the wind out of him. He caught it with a grunt, "Hold on!" he said, walking the bag back to its neutral state. "Are you jealous?" Blaze didn't respond, prompting Silver to poke his head around the bag with a smirk. "Oh my God, you're jealous!"

"I'm not _jealous_." her scowl conveyed her anger, "I just can't believe you think it's okay to associate yourself with people like that."

"You know I'm kidding, right?"

" _Are you_?" Lightning blinked in the windows again.

"Blaze..." Silver stepped aside, and removed his gear. She refused to look at him. "Okay, _seriously,_ I'm sorry. I didn't know you cared that much. I'm not seeing anyone right now." he scratched his nose, "Especially not anyone like that." Blaze still didn't look his way as she resumed striking the bag. Silver threw his arms out, "Do you _actually_ wanna' know the truth?"

The feline raised her leg, and nearly hit the top of the bag with her foot. "Are you saying you've been telling _lies_?"

"Ugh..." Silver groaned, stepping in front of her. "Listen to me. I have a plan for all of that, okay? There aren't that many kinetics left in the world. We're the only two in this entire city. When the time is right, I want to make sure there's someone in line to help protect everyone. I'll only mate with another kinetic. But not you, of course..."

Blaze's glare cut right through Silver's chest. "What do you mean _not_ _me_?" The silence allowed one to hear the rain pelt the rooftop, just before another crash of thunder. "Am I not good enough for you?"

"What? _No_! It's just... I just, uh," he stumbled over his words, "I mean, you're _Blaze_... and I'm _Silver_. And I just figured that, uh, you probably wouldn't... and it would be... ya' know," he shook his head to reset, "I didn't even know you cared about any of th-"

"I _don't_." Blaze coldly interrupted him, crossing her arms and hiding her face. "I was just curious about all the reports lately."

Silver turned away, "Well, you shouldn't pay them any attention." The two walked to the far wall together, and packed up their gear. "Besides, we have bigger things to worry about, right?"

Blaze sighed, "Yes, I know. I'm sorry for questioning you." she apologized embarrassedly, starting for the exit.

Silver hesitated before gathering his things, but caught up with her outside. "Blaze, wait," he stopped her, and leaned over. "Hop on my back."

"Um, why?"

Silver looked to the sky, where another streak of lightning sliced through the millions of rain droplets. "Well, I'm not gonna' let you walk home in this, that's for sure."

Blaze submitted, and carefully situated herself behind him. He flew high above the city with her, creating a bubble around them with his powers that acted as a shield from the horrid weather. The feline was safely home in no time at all. Silver dropped her off right at her doorstep, which was connected to a modest house a few blocks down from where he lived. He quickly turned to leave.

"Thank you, Silvy." Blaze called to him, just as he was about to enter the disorienting thunderstorm again.

Silver faced her, and smiled. "Any time." He glanced to the side, surveying the glassy halos emitting from the street lights in the distance. Some deep web of thought was troubling him. "Hey, Blaze, I-" he looked forward, only to realize that her door had been shut, and the feline had retreated inside. Silver nodded, and bit his lip as he began the march to his home, favoring the way in which the cool rain massaged his tired body over any sort of convenience.


	7. Chapter 7

"Gini!" Silver called as he entered his home, soaking wet from the rain. "I need a favor!"

The robot sped into the room, "Yes sir! I- oh, my... let me guess, you need something to dry off with?"

"No. Well, actually yes, but I need you to run a name search for me."

"Absolutely. Be right back." Gini wheeled out of the room for a moment, and returned with a plush bath towel. Silver thanked him, and wrapped himself in it before sitting on the couch. "So what's the name?" the servant asked.

"Sonic. Sonic Hedgehog."

Gini's monitor went blank as he connected himself to the large television hanging on the living room wall. What seemed like an endless stream of files flew across the screen. "Alright, let's see here. Ogilvie Maurice Hedgehog. Commonly known as "Sonic". Popular vigilante many decades ago... looks like he was pretty famous, actually. It is said that he was able to break the sound barrier with his incredible speed. He was often seen with Miles Prower, a fox who fought alongside him. Oh, dear... there's a lot of classified information here. I can go deeper if you want."

Silver nodded, and reached into his pocket to pull out his wallet. He removed a white card from it, and tossed it to Gini. Once the robot scanned it, a new digital folder was opened on the screen.

"It appears his arch rival was one Dr. Eggman." Gini chuckled at the man's photograph, "I wonder if he actually received a doctorate..." Several more minutes of sifting through information ensued, "There's thousands of accounts on here. Is there something in particular you wanted to find on him?"

"I wanna' know more about how he died." Silver said, approaching the screen to get a better look. "Surely it wasn't that Eggman guy or whatever, right?"

Gini hummed a happy tune while clicking through a few more articles, "Um... well, yes and no. It was one of Eggman's inventions; a robotic version of Sonic. Eggman tried using the power of a few chaos emeralds to strengthen it, and succeeded, but the bot went rogue and almost killed him. According to this, Eggman actually teamed up with Sonic to take it out. They all perished in a massive explosion that destroyed the robotic Sonic as well."

Silver scratched his chin, "Well, that's going out with a bang, I guess."

"Please don't, sir."

"Is that why they call it a _sonic boom_?" Silver chuckled.

"You really had to dig for that one, huh?"

"Tell me, Gini, was his speed really that _explosive_?"

The robot sighed, "Are you done?"

Silver nodded, and began walking towards the stairs. "Thanks, bud. I got everything I needed."

* * *

Several days passed without any significant encounters in the city. Silver was leaning over a table in his workroom upstairs, tinkering with a few wires inside of what looked like a chest piece. His eyes were directed at the television on the wall, however, which was broadcasting a scene from downtown. A dark-colored cat was inside the cockpit of a large, spider-like robot, supposedly putting forth some sort of ultimatum. Silver looked down at his work, grabbed a mallet, and began shaping up the front of the piece.

Of course, his watch began to vibrate. He answered the call with a smile, "Hey, Blaze! Just in time, I'm starting to work on a suit for you. Would you say you're an A-cup or a B-cup?"

There was a pause, "Are... are you _serious_? You don't just ask for a woman's-!" Blaze sighed, "Never mind. Have you turned on the news?"

"Yep. Watching it right now." Silver replied, leaning in to grasp the intricacies of his work.

"So you're heading out, then?"

"I mean, do we really _need_ to?" Silver asked, glancing up at the screen. "What's that guy gonna' do in that thing? Looks like he got it from the junkyard..."

"There are hundreds of people in the building he's threatening to destroy. So _yes_. We need to."

"What does he even-?"

"I'll meet you there."

The hedgehog sighed. Once he slipped into his own preferred attire, he left as abruptly as he had been summoned, assuring Gini that he would return soon. Silver carried himself at a moderate pace above the city, still adjusting his eyes to the brightness of the day. His destination was easy enough to pick out - the villain's orange spider-bot took up half of the four-lane street.

However, just as Silver began lowering himself down, an unbearably high-pitched noise entered his ears. He grabbed his head to combat the pain, and in doing so lost all concentration, rendering his powers useless. He cursed as he felt gravity overcome him, and realized he couldn't catch himself as long as the horrid note was stinging his brain. He fell from the sky like a glorified rock for all below to see, his mind in a state of panic over the chaos and confusion.

* * *

 **A/N: Hey everyone! I'm sorry this one took so long to get out, but I've been working on a bit of a side project lately. A few of you may know this, but I've been playing guitar for several years now, so I decided that I would do some covers of songs and post them to youtube. And yep. Did it. Check that one off the list.**

 **So, if you like guitar, or like the Sonic game soundtracks (I'll be playing a LOT of Crush 40), or if you're just curious and want to watch me play guitar, search me up! My channel name is Dark Shredz.**

 **As always, thanks for your support! I'll get back to updating this one regularly now.**


	8. Chapter 8

Luckily, a rooftop met Silver before the ground did, but the incessant ringing only grew stronger. He rolled over on his side, and winced as his spine cracked in several places. His efforts to rise again were thwarted, and he laid there until Blaze soon sprinted into the corner of his eye.

" _Silver!_ " she exclaimed, kneeling by his side. "What happened? Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," he groaned, "just help me up, please." Back on his feet, he steadied himself against a wall, and covered his ears again. "Oh my God, can you not hear that?"

"Hear what? Are you sure you're okay?"

Silver walked to the edge of the rooftop, and peered down at the spider-bot, which seemed to be the source of the noise. "I can't use my powers right now..." he mumbled, holding his head.

"What are you talking about? Just sit back down and let me- _hey!_ "

Without any warning, Silver leapt off the building, and landed skillfully in front of the glass around the bot's cockpit. Indeed, the ringing reached its maximum strength as a result. He shot an irritated glare at the cat inside, and did well to hide his discomfort. "Oh wow, whaddaya' know. Another nobody found a way to get noticed." Silver smirked, setting his adversary's eyes alight with rage. "So, go on, tell me why you've _always felt wronged_ , why society has _made you this way_..."

"Silence!" the shady, unkempt cat demanded. Sweat stained his beige muzzle, to which some fur was matted on either side. There was a trembling madness in his voice, which was amplified through an external speaker. "I owe no explanation. Bring me the chaos emeralds, or the building goes."

"You're getting right down to it then, huh?" Silver laughed, "I've got some bad news for ya', I don't think either of those are gonna' happen. I'd probably know, I kinda' do this a lot."

"So you refuse to bring me the emeralds?"

Silver stepped back, and took a moment to look around him. "Hmm..." he smirked, "Yeah, I think I'll pass."

"Very well, then." The cat pushed a button on his control panel, which extended the legs of the bot, making the whole machine rise. Without warning, the spider reared back and thrusted forward, sending Silver skidding down the street. The spider lunged forward before he could stand again, and pinned him to the ground by placing one of its massive claws on his chest. "I'll give you one last chance. _Bring me the chaos emeralds_."

Silver tried to use his powers to escape, but couldn't channel his thoughts. The noise upsetting them was unrelenting. "You coward!" he grimaced, "I wouldn't bring you a raft if you were drowning in the ocean!"

A hatch opened on the underside of the spider, through which a turret revealed itself. "I have to say, I expected more from the _world's protector_..."

Suddenly, a wave of flames crashed over the bot, serving only as a diversion. Blaze stood behind the colossal machine, with a titanium staff in her hand. As the spider turned to face her, Silver stumbled to his feet, and coughed while trying to catch his breath. He was powerless, but he still closed his eyes, and attempted to pinpoint the source of the disturbance. In his mind, he was able to see a small glowing circle on the very front of the bot. _"So that's where it is..."_ he whispered.

At the same time, the spider's turret shot a green ball of energy at Blaze, which was dodged easily enough. The fire-cat jumped up high and kicked off the side of a building, propelling herself toward the feline controlling the madness. The spider raised one of its front legs, and swatted her out of the air with ease.

" _Blaze!_ " Silver called. He rushed down the sidewalk to her, but was caught by another claw before she even appeared in his sight. It pinned him against a brick wall, and had his suit not been reinforced, Silver's ribs would've snapped from the force. The back of his head stung when he reached to touch it, and his hand came back stained a deep crimson. The claw restraining him grew even tighter, squeezing the life out of the hedgehog. Silver looked up at his captor, and realized a horrifying trait about the villain. His muzzle was completely bare, for he possessed no mouth.

"You disgust me." the cat proclaimed, "More willing to aid a weak woman than to fight back. For your foolish compassion, you shall perish."

Just as another claw was raised, Blaze streaked into the picture, flying through the air like a missile. She pierced the glass around the villain with her staff, scattering shards of it along both metal and pavement. She then unleashed her fire upon the control panel, causing the spider to release Silver, and soon after collapse. Blaze extended her arm to the screaming cat in the flames, for she had every intention of sparing his life, but at the last moment, he seemed to vanish. Whether or not he was incinerated, it was hard to tell. Blaze's heart dropped, and she became paralyzed with guilt at the thought of the cat's demise.

Beneath the fire, Silver limped over to Blaze's staff, and used it to stab the nose of the machine, exactly where he had seen the glow before. Indeed, once he did so, the ringing in his ears faded and ceased. He further pried open the gap he had made, and removed the circular device from the bot for further examination. After a few moments of rest, a deadly scent permeated the air, snapping Silver into action. He flew upwards, grasped the idle Blaze in his arms, and continued flying until there was a massive explosion below. The two landed on the rooftop they had met at earlier, and could only watch as vain smoke rolled through the street below.


	9. Chapter 9

As the proper authorities arrived, Silver glanced down to realize that Blaze was gripping her forearm tightly. She had received a long, thin gash across it, from which blood was spilling down the rest of her arm. " _Jesus, Blaze!_ " Silver exclaimed.

"I'm fine. You're wounded too." was the calm response, "It's not very deep. We need to make sure they know what happened down there."

Silver shook his head, and walked over to the corner of the rooftop, where a small flag was flying. He detached it, and used it to wrap Blaze's injured arm up. He pleaded with her to climb on his back, and when she eventually submitted, she was carried back to the albino's house as quickly as he could fly. Once there, Silver sat Blaze down in his kitchen, and left her for a moment to fetch his medical kit.

Silver returned, and unwrapped the bloody flag before placing Blaze's arm under his sink, and pumping liquid soap into her opposite hand. Once the wound was clean and dried, Silver shook up a can of healing aerosol. "This might sting a little, but it should keep you from needing stitches." He applied the spray, and although it was uncomfortable, Blaze didn't flinch. "Pretty advanced stuff..." Silver continued, inspecting the can's fine print. "I'd like to get my hands on more of it." He then removed some bandages from his bag, and wrapped them around Blaze's cut.

The fire-cat thanked him, and the two continued on to have a lengthy conversation in which their line of work was absent. Truthfully, that was the longest talk of that sort either of them had taken part in for some time. Both of them found it refreshing to speak of their world without contempt or dread. They soon moved outside to Silver's balcony, where they overlooked the thick forest that led to the city's park near the mansion. The sun began to approach the edge of the world, creating an orange and yellow blend throughout the sky. A slight breeze was sweeping through the land; the two allowed it to brush their fur, and could only sit in awe of the nature around them.

"What's wrong, Blaze?" Silver asked, breaking a long streak of silence. "You look down. Your arm still hurting?"

"No, it feels fine." she said, clearly battling an urge to say more. It wasn't long before she gave in. "I just... what I did to that man..."

Silver chuckled, "The asshat who wanted the emeralds?"

"I killed him, Silver." Blaze paused, and held her head after the admission. "He was incinerated by _my_ fire."

"And this is bad because...?"

"I _hate_ my powers." she bellowed out, clutching her head tighter. She leaned over to hide her shame, "I always have. These flames do more harm than good."

Initially, Silver's mind drifted to humor, but those thoughts were scratched when he saw a tear roll off of Blaze's hand. "Woah, now..." he intervened, shocked at what was unfolding before him. Still, his voice switched to one marked with solace, and his hand found the middle of her back. "C'mon, you realize you saved my life, right? There was some super high-pitched noise coming from that spider thing. It messed with my brain or something; I literally couldn't use my telekinesis."

"I _know_!" Blaze looked up at him with irritated, pink eyes. "So why the hell did you go after him? You could've been _killed_! I had to kill for you! It's _all your fault_ , because you're _so_ _stupid_!" She fell back into her hands, embarrassed by her emotion.

Silver wrapped his arm around her, pulling her closer, "I went after him because I knew you'd be backing me up." The cat glanced up at him again, prompting him to nod, "I'm sorry it got as tense as it did. I really shouldn't have went on."

There was a lengthy silence. "No, I'm sorry," Blaze sniffed, "it's just my one true fear..."

"What is?"

"That I'll seriously hurt someone with my powers." Blaze inspected her hands, "I fear that I'll lose control of them one day. That I might accidentally..." she sighed, "I suppose it's silly, isn't it? I just don't want to harm anyone."

"Well, if it makes you feel any better," Silver smiled, rubbing her shoulder, "that's why I'm here. Don't worry, Blaze. I'll make sure you never have to do that again. I'll protect you."

Suddenly, Silver's phone vibrated. He pulled it out of his pocket to find a message from Skye. It read: _Are we still on for tonight?_

The albino thought for a moment, and then glanced to Blaze, who was still curled in his arm. He grinned, and swiped his screen to reply: _Nah, something came up. Sorry._

"Ya' know," Silver said aloud, retracting his arm so that he could stretch it out. "I don't think you should be worrying any of that stuff today, anyways. I don't think that guy was... _of this world_."

"What do you mean?" Blaze asked, lifting her head again.

Silver kneaded his fingers, "When I got a closer look at him, just before you jumped in, I noticed he didn't... uh, he didn't have a mouth."

The fire-cat gave him a skeptical look, but her voice spilled relief, "Are you certain?"

"Yeah. He wasn't one of us, that's for sure." Silver proclaimed, "But he's gone now. That's all that matters."

 _"At least I hope he is..."_ he thought to himself, peering up at the few stars forming in the then-purple sky.


	10. Chapter 10

Long after Blaze left, an anticipating silence permeated through the mansion. On the brink of the next day, Silver sat and watched as Gini scanned the circular object that had repressed his telekinesis earlier. After some time, a few blacked-out documents appeared on the robot's monitor. Silver waltzed over to him, and scanned the access card from his wallet again.

"Why's all this stuff so secretive, anyways?" Silver asked.

"That would be a question for Shadow." Gini dismissed, continuing his search. "It appears to be some sort of high-speed motion tracking device. The notorious Dr. Eggman often incorporated these in his inventions to combat Sonic The Hedgehog. The machine this came from could have well been one of Eggman's creations."

Silver sat back down, "I wouldn't doubt it; that thing was an outdated piece of junk. If it didn't have that thing in it, I would've been fine." He kneaded his chin, "All these names are coming up suddenly. Hope that's not a bad sign."

"Do you believe this was coincidental?"

"No. Whoever it was knew they could get an advantage over me. And, honestly, I don't think they're finished." Silver sighed, "Just gotta' be on our toes."

The cheerful chime of the doorbell sliced through the conversation. Silver's brow contoured with skepticism, but he was quick to his feet to meet the visitor. He swung the door open to reveal Skye, standing with her hands in her pockets.

"Guess who." she said, flashing a sly grin.

Silver smiled, "I thought I said we were off for tonight."

The fox shrugged, "I was in the neighborhood. Saw the lights were on." she slid past him, through the doorway. "Whatcha' doing up this late?"

"Work." Silver side-mouthed his response as he pushed the door shut, feeling the click of the backset through the handle. He kept his eyes locked on hers. "It was a rough day today."

"I saw." Skye giggled, "Everyone thought you were a goner for a minute there..."

"Can't say I thought differently."

Skye approached him, and threw her arms around his neck. "I'm so glad you're okay..."

Silver placed his palms on her hips, but didn't melt in her touch. "What's this about?"

"It's been a while, Silv..." Her voice pranced in his ears, "You do this stuff long enough and you get on a schedule. It feels like there's something missing inside me."

For a moment, Silver felt the warmth of Blaze's head against his shoulder again. He shook the feeling by running his hands along the fox's thighs. "I guess I could help with that." He shifted his eyes to where Gini was seated, but found that his servant had already quit the room.

"I'll be upstairs in a minute." Skye assured, mating her words with a wink and a light shove.

Silver hesitated, but soon found himself sitting on his bed beneath a cloud of complacency. Skye slithered into the room no later than she had promised, carrying two half-empty glasses along with her devastatingly beautiful body. The hedgehog reached for the collar of his shirt.

"Hold on, now..." Skye played, "I thought we might take this one a little slower." She sat on the other side of the bed, and extended the drink in her left hand to Silver. He accepted it, laying back against his pillows with a sigh.

"Sorry if I seem uptight." Silver only took one sip of the wine, and placed it on his nightstand. "I'm a little worried after what happened earlier."

Skye closed her mouth on the rim of her raised glass, allowing the deep red liquid to settle on her lip for a moment. She pulled it away, refusing to turn her head. "Is that so?"

"Yeah. It was a scary situation." he admitted, turning to face the fox. "But, I guess you don't wanna' hear about that stuff..."

Skye sat her own drink down, and crawled closer to Silver. "I don't think you wanna' talk about it, either." She climbed over him so that she could straddle his waist, and ran her hands over his chest. "Maybe we should get right to it..."

Once their romp was finished, so too was Silver's glass. Skye's hand rested on his stomach as she felt him drift away without any significant resistance. She dressed herself as quickly as she could, and once her eyes grazed that helpless hedgehog, her mind began to run a triathlon of sympathy, regret, and betrayal. She approached him, and leaned over to kiss his unconscious lips. Her hushed words were shaken with misery.

 _"I'm so sorry, Silv..."_


	11. Chapter 11

Skye trekked far beyond the city lines through the thick air of the early morning, frowning beneath her hood all the way. The sparkle-laden moonlight was of little solace to her, though it lit her desperate pathway well. A chill trickled down her body as she approached an abandoned warehouse, complete with boarded windows and dry vines reaching up its walls. She stepped through the cracked double-doors; the feeling of isolation when inside the building was just as jarring as its appearance.

The very back of the depot played host to many tall racks of forgotten boxes. Packages that weren't as organized were merely strewn across the floor. Skye made her way behind the racks without error - a great feat considering that lack of light - and turned to face the devil's lair. A low, sharp chuckle emitted from the shadows upon the fox's arrival.

Several tentacle-like structures sprouted from the black mass before Skye. Its aggressive words interrogated her: "Were you successful?"

With a stiff upper lip, the fox removed her hood to reveal sad, distressed ears. She presented two small vials from her pocket; one contained a red fluid, and the other a milky white. "Now, hold up your end."

A tentacle lunged at her, and snatched the capsules away. A singular light flickered on to reveal an incubation tube to the left of Skye, which contained an older fox similar in appearance to her. Subtle differences included white ears, and a completely blue tail whereas Skye's included black fur on its tip.

Skye's eyes shot open at the sight of the trapped fox. " _Mom!_ " she called, rushing over to the capsule before a field of energy halted her. It shot a pain through her hands, angry enough to send her sprawling to the floor.

"My transformation process will take some time." the evil voice explained, "When that is complete, I shall release your pathetic creator."

Skye scowled at the mass, "That wasn't part of the deal, Mephiles! Give me back my mother!"

"I'm not entirely sure why you would want it. After being in that state for this long, it is likely brain dead. Mortality is quite the inconvenience, no?"

The tingling in Skye's hands ceased. She balled them into fists, and stood to face the evil behind her teary eyes. "What is your _problem?!_ " She paused for a moment, allowing her vocal cords to settle, "You _bastard! Answer me!_ " Still, there was no response other than a rolling, demonic laugh. The enraged fox charged at the villain with a blubbering grunt, and beat its gelatinous body with all the force she could muster. " _Fuck you!_ " she roared, unresponsive to the tears streaming down her cheeks, obstructing her vision. Her shoulders were nearly dislocated with some of her wild swings. "I betrayed my only friend for this! _You're a monster!_ "

Mephiles allowed Skye's punches to tire, and reveled in the violent gasps between her cries for quite some time. Eventually, he wrapped a tentacle around her, and used a few more to pierce her in several places. He laughed once more beneath the fox's horrific shriek. "Insolent whore, you dare place your sullied hands upon me? You will regret the day you emerged from a mortal..."

Skye winced as she felt a tentacle exit her bicep, and another stab through her thigh. With a quick swipe of her claws, she cut through the arm holding her, but as she fell to the ground, her thigh received a gash that tore all the way up to her hip. She landed hard on her shoulder, but found a way to sprint for the exit in a fit of adrenaline. Yet another tentacle stopped her, however, wrapping tightly around her neck just as she reached the doorway.

"When this world crumbles, fox..." the dark voice proposed, pulling the struggling girl's body back. "Remember who the true villain is."

The monster's grip released, and a coughing Skye stumbled outside. The cool air stung her lacerations as harshly as those parting words had stung her heart. Skye realized that everything had been taken from her at that point; and indeed, her only true remaining possession was a trail of blood and remorse. She dragged it with her through the darkness, limping in no direction except away. After all, nothing would heal those wounds.

* * *

 **A/N: Hey everyone! Just wanted to chime in and say that school is starting back soon, so that may/may not affect the amount of updates I put out. I hope it doesn't, especially because these chapters are so short, but it is what it is. I've... already gotten kinda' behind my one update per week mark, haha.**

 **If you hadn't already noticed, this version of SFTL is gonna include a LOT more of Skye. I'd like to really develop her character and backstory, instead of include her in like one scene (as I did in the original). I hope that's okay!**

 **Thanks for all the support, as always. You guys make doing this so much easier!**


	12. Chapter 12

Silver woke with heavy eyes the next morning, and saw the world as nothing but a blur for a few moments. He blinked that sensation away, only to find a sharp pain in the side of his neck once he turned his head to his alarm clock. He winced at both the discomfort and the time, as he had nearly slept until three in the afternoon. He forced himself to sit up against the head of his bed, and could only stare down his naked body as he attempted to find his bearings.

When Silver reached for his phone, he found that a bandage had been wrapped around his upper right arm. He examined the thin, dark stain across the center of it, but didn't concern himself with unknowns. He found an answer in the form of a note next to his phone, anyway. It read:

 _Had to go out early today. Sorry for scratching you last night, tiger. Love ya._

 _\- Skye_

Silver tossed the message aside, and was relieved not to find any missed calls on his phone or wrist communicator. Some matted fur around his thighs pulled and broke as he threw his feet to the floor, leaning against his bed to keep his balance. Kneading his head, he dragged his body forward a step or two, only to drop to a knee. He punched the floor out of frustration, "What's wrong with me? My head's spinning..."

After a few moments, Silver stood again, and ran his hands over his face before stretching his limbs out. Gini shot into the room not long after, "Oh! Thank goodness you're awake, sir! I was getting worried!" he declared, rushing over to the hedgehog's closet. The servant returned to hand over a comfortable outfit, "I tried to wake you up once or twice, but you wouldn't even move!"

"I must've been really tired..." Silver assumed, accepting his clothes as he started for the bathroom. The sound of water blasting against the shower floor cut into the bedroom, and so too did Silver moments later. "Hey, Gini?" he called, "I didn't do anything crazy last night, did I?"

"Not that _I_ would know of..." the robot snarked as he turned, " _I_ was told to keep security cameras _off_ in here when Skye's around."

Silver's lips curled up, "Hm. I forgot about that incident..."

"I was simply making sure that the picture quality was up to standards!"

"Yeah. _Whatever_." Silver laughed, retreating into the bathroom again. _"Pervy little bot..."_

* * *

A few days passed without any significant interruption, granting Silver the time to work out some personal matters. He didn't even step into the gymnasium until early one afternoon, when he found Blaze training there by herself. The loud slam of the double-doors prompted the feline to look over her shoulder, and give an indifferent nod of her head before returning to the weights in her hands.

"Where have you been?" she grunted, eyeing Silver in the mirror as he approached her.

"In my house, in front of the TV." he smirked, slicking his quills back to tie them in a ponytail. Once Blaze sat her weights down, Silver dropped his bag, and rummaged through it for his gloves. He turned to his partner, and waved them in the air to summon her. "Let's go."

Once the lights were dimmed, the two equipped themselves, removed their shoes, and marched to the center of the floor again. Silver stretched his arms out, and tapped his unmasked forehead with his knuckles a few times before beginning. He and Blaze strafed around for quite a bit, bouncing back and forth, only grazing each other's gloves once or twice.

Blaze made the first move, throwing a few punches into Silver's forearms. These were mirrored as retaliation, though the feline was surprised with how easily she pushed Silver's hands back. She questioned his unwavering stare; it was as if he refused to take his glazed eyes off of hers. He responded with a few simple jabs and hooks, all of which were swatted away. Silver's gaze still didn't break.

Blaze became impatient, and forced the hedgehog's arms back with another punch. She spun around, and released a swinging kick right at Silver's head. It connected just below his ear, throwing his skull sideways and sending him down on all fours.

"Okay, _seriously_. What's wrong with you?" Blaze demanded, removing her mouthpiece.

Silver brought his fingers to the throbbing point on his head, making sure he hadn't been cut. He removed his mouth guard as well, laughing at his own mistake. "Nothing. I'm good."

He felt his way over to a bench, where he shook off the remainder of his vertigo. Blaze handed him her cold water bottle, which he applied to his bruise with gratitude. The feline sat next to him, "Just tell me what's wrong. You're not yourself."

Silver felt his chest tighten; he took a few deep breaths before he could get his words out. "Well, if you really wanna' know... I've been thinking a lot lately. Mostly about the conversation we had the other day." He removed the drink from his head, and sat it on the floor. "I had never seen you be that open with me."

Blaze felt some color rise to her face, inclining her to turn away from the hedgehog. Her voice was defensive, "Yeah, well I-"

"No, no. It wasn't a _bad_ thing." Silver beamed, "I thought it was a nice change of pace, actually." A silence ensued, which the albino broke as soon as he was prepared to confess. "I've just been thinking a lot about _you_ ever since. And, well, I guess I realized just how much you actually mean to me." he laughed again, "And it's kinda' stupid, but it's been messing with my head lately. Especially since it's kind of a change-of-heart thing. So, I had to tell you."

Blaze brought her tail to her side, and began stroking it. "You don't really mean that..."

"No, I'm serious." Silver insisted, "I can't tell you _why_ I feel this way all of the sudden - maybe I always have, and I was just scared to admit it - but I know you mean a lot to me, Blaze." He glanced to her blushing, dangling head. "And I think I love you."

The feline looked up, maintaining her grip on her tail. Her face was shaped with both surprise and relief. "I... I've always felt that way for you, Silver..."

The hedgehog lacked no confidence, leaned in, and locked lips with his best friend. Blaze's mind was sent into a fit of uncertainty, which was only resolved once Silver placed his hand on her cheek. For the first time in a number of years, Blaze felt the purest of joy. And in a characteristically opposite manner, Silver felt a heatwave of guilt. However, his second most troubling secret had been revealed, and for that he was grateful.


	13. Chapter 13

Another unusually empty day passed after that, and the next was only made significant by the arrival of Blaze at Silver's door late in the evening. She wore a slim, sparkling black dress that matched the bag she carried, neither of which she had ever adorned before. Her spiked ponytail had been let down for the first time in ages, and a pair of black flats completed the look. Silver's eyes dilated as he absorbed her presence, reassuring himself that the woman standing before him was the same one he had known for so long. " _Blaze!_ " he erupted, once he realized he had been staring. "You... you look beautiful..."

She grinned, and averted her eyes. "I wasn't sure about it, but I'm glad you like it."

Silver motioned her inside, and his gaze followed her tail to its base as it brushed by. "Yeah... you're really stunning."

The couple entered the dining room, where the long table had been folded in to provide a more personal mood. Silver helped Blaze get seated, and left for a moment to check on Gini's cooking, which he would gladly play off as his own. When he returned, he placed a large bowl of chicken stir-fry in the middle of the table, eyeing his date for any sort of approval regarding 'his' work. She obliged, "It smells delicious."

The hedgehog chuckled as he sat across from her, "I hope it's alright. Just didn't wanna' go out anywhere and get the paparazzi on us, ya' know?"

Blaze nodded, and the two enjoyed their meal with light, humorous conversation. For every compliment Silver threw her way, the feline became that much more unsure of herself. The hedgehog would notice this, say something to make her beam with laughter, and the cycle repeated itself. Once both of their plates were bare, a jolt of excitement lit Silver's face up, and pulled him to his feet. "Oh! I almost forgot something!" He headed for the living room, and motioned Blaze over so that she could wait on the couch. "Close your eyes! I'll be right back."

Blaze saw the albino rush upstairs just as she did so. The next time she lifted her eyelids, she couldn't help but giggle at Silver's goofy, accomplished grin. He displayed Blaze's finished battle suit with immense pride: a black outfit similar to his own, with dark purple substituted for teal as an accent color. He quickly handed it over so that she could examine the material, "I've been working on it non-stop all week. Whaddaya' think?"

"It feels nice," she admitted, scanning the piece with a smile. "I like it, I really do."

Silver took a seat next to her, and gave her a swift kiss. "That makes me really happy."

Blaze conquered her initial shock from the touch of her love's lips, pulled herself closer to him, and experienced the sensation again. She caressed his face as if she didn't think she'd ever get the opportunity. Their tongues slid past one another as Silver grasped the feline's waist, charging the moment with euphoria.

Blaze carefully wrapped her arms around Silver's torso once they broke apart, and released a sigh. "You have no idea how long I've wanted this, Silvy..."

One of the hedgehog's hands felt its way down her back, but the doorbell sounded before it could get beneath her tail. Perhaps it was a blessing in disguise. Silver approached his door with a hint of contempt, but was lucky enough to open it with courtesy, as two police officers were waiting for him on the other side. "Uh... h-hello!" Silver croaked, running a number of scenarios through his head. "How can I help you gentlemen?"

One of the policemen, a green hedgehog, wasted no time in explaining their visit. "A woman by the name of Skylar Solara was found at the side of a road outside the city this morning with a multitude of wounds. Upon investigation, our detectives found traces of your DNA on her, Mr. Hedgehog. We were wondering if you could tell us anything about the last time you saw her."

A shade of deep red settled over Silver's face. "I... uh... yes. She was here a few nights ago." He tried to keep his voice down, angling the heavy door so that it stood between himself and Blaze.

"And you two had sexual intercourse, correct?" the officer pursued.

Silver became agitated, "Yes, we did. But I don't know where she went after that. She didn't let me know, so I can't tell you anything. I'm sorry." He heard a footstep or two behind him, prodding him to lean in closer to the officers. "Is she okay?"

"She's at the hospital now, in serious condition."

Anxiety set in, but Silver carried out the remainder of their hushed conversation. After this, he pushed the door closed, and was optimistic enough to turn and face Blaze again. Needless to say, either by her swollen eyes or the daggers they produced, the albino realized that he hadn't spoken soft enough.

Blaze approached him with clenched fists and a scathing tone. "If you were going to _lie to me,_ " she hissed, jabbing his chest with her index finger, "you could've _at least_ made sure I didn't find out about it."

Silver's heart dropped. In a last-ditch effort to explain himself, he grabbed her shoulder just as she opened the door to leave.

"Don't touch me." the feline commanded.

"Blaze, I-"

 _"Shut up!"_ she cried, turning to reveal her face marred by tears and frustration. She looked him in the eyes, shaking with rage, _"I hate you, Silver The Hedgehog!"_

With that, the door was slammed hard enough to rattle Silver's soul. He looked back to find Blaze's suit stranded on the couch, and sank to the floor in defeat. It was only then that he truly understood the error of his ways, and of course, it was far too late for him. The relentless arms of isolation had already tightened their grip.

* * *

 **A/N: Hello people! I'm checking in because I have some semi-exciting news for anyone who's read a different story of mine. I recently found an unfinished one-shot on my phone that I had completely forgotten about. It was an epilogue that I started writing several months ago for _All My Colors_ , just to serve as a sort of... ending, I guess. It shows what happened in the years after the actual story ended, and stuff like that. **

**So, if you read AMC, and that interests you in some way, keep an eye out for it! I don't really have a timeframe for completing it yet, but I'd really like to publish it at some point.**

 **ANYWAYS, this story is going great! I've worked out a lot of what'll happen later, and this one's gonna have a few more twists than SFTL did. I can't wait!**

 **Thanks again for all the support. I'll be working hard to keep this story up and running!**


	14. Chapter 14

After some time, Silver chose the easier route, and went after Skye instead of Blaze. He flew to the hospital though a downpour of rain that complemented his miserable conscience; bleak skies couldn't quell his appetite for answers, anyway. The hedgehog cursed at the moon and the stars and the cloud of shame above him, favoring aggression over any sort of hindsight. Not that he could be blamed for that, of course.

Silver was let in past visiting hours without even providing his name - barring one autograph, at least. Skye's room was a few flights up, and in the mirrored elevator doors, Silver felt disgust toward his own reflection for the first time. He eventually reached the desired room, creeped inside, and nearly shuddered when he caught sight of the fox. Her pale face showcased a disturbed slumber, seemingly that of a helpless victim.

The hedgehog approached her, and pushed her bangs back so that he could feel her forehead. Skye sprang to consciousness as he did so, and took a moment to realize who was standing above her. _"Silver..."_

His voice was solemn as he scanned her bandaged torso and shoulders. "I want you to tell me _exactly_ what they did to you, and _exactly_ where I can find them."

Skye knew she couldn't escape, no matter how hard she tried. She winced - not due to the paralyzing pain surfacing from her wounds, but as a mechanism to fight reality. She turned away from the one she had forsaken. "I... I can't tell you..."

Silver leaned forward, and placed a gentle hand on her cheek to wipe her tears. "It's okay, Skye. You're safe now. Just tell me how this happened."

The fox's throat felt like a knot, and she couldn't help but sound cryptic as she forced her words out. "It's too late..."

"What do you mean?"

Silver's sympathy pained Skye more than the truth could ever hurt him. Even still, she swallowed it. "It's late. I just want to rest. I'll explain everything later, I promise."

Silver nodded, "I understand. I'm just glad you're alright." He grabbed one of her hands, "Rest up, m'kay? Come see me when they let you out."

A few more words were exchanged before Silver left without any clues or complaints. Skye felt the heat of regret beneath her, and tried to convince herself that everything would come good in the end. She couldn't handle the emotional strain of confession, anyway. Not at that point, at least.

As for Silver, he trudged back through the rain to his fortress of unwanted solitude, where he would sit atop the world for one final night.

* * *

Somewhere deep in the shadows of the city, a Silver-esque figure walked through the same storm. Its eyes and limbs were discolored with evil, and its motives were just as so. It was headed the opposite way, toward the headquarters where Shadow had just left for the night. The figure arrived at the building, and wasted no time getting in through a fingerprint scanner on the front door.

Three levels underground - that's where the chaos emeralds were stored. Nearly all security had been bypassed; the last line of defense was a finger prick at the vault's door. The figure approached a small terminal, and placed its thumb on the designated spot, just above a small needle. After a quick blood test, a synthetic voice was emitted from the device:

 _"Access granted: Silver The Hedgehog."_

Just like that, the gates to purgatory were opened. The monster stepped inside, and marveled at the view of those seven glistening gems. _"At long last..."_ it chuckled. Not even the most diligent of pessimists could have predicted the holocaust to follow.


	15. Chapter 15

Many years before those events, Silver's ascent began from quite the low. On a humid summer night, his youthful eyes sparkled as he sat across from his mother - a lighter hedgehog with beautiful, elaborate quills around her head - who was meditating in the faint light of their living room. A light blue aura soon formed around her, lifting her off the floor. The energy she produced caused the lights around the house to flicker, much to the amusement of her son.

Silver's jaw was left loose, " _Wow!_ Will I be able to do that one day, Mama?"

"Of course, sweetie." the woman replied, lowering herself with a warm smile. She opened her eyes, which were colored a bright cyan to match the markings on her hands and arms. "Your powers are already very strong for someone so young."

"But I can't fly like you..." Silver pouted.

"That will come in time." she assured. Without even lifting her hands, she suspended Silver in the air, which pulled a set of giggles from both of them. She moved him close, and straightened his quills. "Do you want to know a secret?" An excited nod was the response, so she continued, "For you and me, our greatest weakness is our eyes."

Silver tilted his head, "What do you mean?"

"Well, as you get older, you'll start to notice that it gets easier to move things around that you can see." She demonstrated by raising the couch next to her. "But, the only way that a telekinetic can unlock their full potential is to be able to manipulate things that _aren't_ visible." She snapped her fingers, lighting the wick of a candle on an end table. "When you learn to do that - to see things with your mind, and not your eyes - you'll be able to do anything." She grinned, "Go ahead, close your eyes, Silvy. Try to see without them."

As he did so, the elder hedgehog sensed a disturbance outside. She crept outside to find an orange-yellow glow in the distance, made intense from the black sky surrounding it. Her heart dropped, _"So it's already begun..."_

She made her way back through the doorway, and complimented Silver for his efforts before letting out a sigh. "Mommy has to go help some people, Silvy."

"Aw, do you _have_ to?"

She kneeled next to him, and smiled once more. "I'm afraid so."

He jumped into her arms, "When will you come back?"

She kissed her son's forehead, and held him close. "As soon as I can, sweetie. Mommy loves you."

"I love you too, Mama." Silver couldn't quite pinpoint the feeling, but he was sure something wasn't right. He wanted to ask, but was afraid to know.

Just before the mother went on, she turned around with a reassuring warmth in her voice. "I'll see you soon, Silvy. Don't open the door for anyone you don't know." She caught one last glimpse of his nervous smile before locking the door from the inside, and shutting it on the happiest part of her life. She flew toward the light on the horizon, and pushed a button on her wrist communicator.

 _"Shadow, we're gonna' need everyone we can get."_

* * *

The following morning, three solemn knocks were placed on Silver's door. The albino looked out the window, and found an ebony hedgehog with red streaks in his quills standing outside, scratching the back of his head. Silver unlatched the door, and looked up to his visitor with curious eyes. He hesitated for a moment, "Where's Mama?"

The ebony one fell to a knee so that he could be level with Silver. Yet, he couldn't make eye contact as he forced an explanation out of his throat. His expression contoured with empathy, as he had long felt the pain that was about to bite the young hedgehog.

 _"I'm sorry, kid..."_


	16. Chapter 16

Back in reality, the night had passed, sweeping any shade of hope along with it. Silver's spirits were lifted for a brief moment early in the afternoon, as he checked his communicator to find an incoming call from Blaze. He accepted it out of reflex, instead of giving himself the time he needed to think of a greeting, and stumbled over his words as a result:

" _Hey!_ Hey, Blaze, uh... look, I can explain-"

"Silver." She stopped him, but lacked the expected bite in her voice. "Look outside."

Moving with an air of confusion, the albino wandered to the closest window, and grew unsettled after catching a glimpse of the sky. The clouds, which were already darkened from the bad weather, seemed to circulate above the city, casting an ominous shadow over it. Silver began to reply, but realized that Blaze had already ended transmission when he looked down. A distant explosion provided the albino with motivation, and after draping himself in his battle suit, he took off toward the source of the disruption.

He found Blaze in the primary downtown area, where people were scrambling through the streets, trying to grasp what had just happened. The outline of a car was trapped in a cage of flames on the side of the street, and not far off were a few individuals who had been hit by debris receiving care. Silver sensed the immense amount of energy that was swirling in the air, and knew that something was amiss. The sky only grew darker.

With the next glance upward, Silver found the perpetrator of the madness around him suspended in the air, and in an unironic way, it looked much like himself. In fact, that's what it was - just a shady copy of Silver, complete with dark, jagged quills and blood-red sclera around the same golden irises. This put the albino off for a moment, but a relieving feeling of familiarity settled his nerves once he realized another striking feature of the villain: he possessed no mouth. Silver couldn't help but chuckle.

"So I guess you're the guy who sent the other guy?" the albino called, "I'd say you're better looking than he was, but you somehow managed to turn _pretty_ into _creepy_. Could I get your secret?"

The evil one wasted no time explaining himself, "I am Mephiles The Dark. I have returned to rid this world of its impure life, as you have all forsaken me. I've come to..."

Silver felt his wrist vibrate again as the villain continued, and in complete disregard for whatever was being said, he answered the incoming call from Shadow. The albino greeted him with a laugh, "It'd been too quiet recently, huh?"

Shadow's tone was not nearly as lighthearted. "Silver, do not engage him. I repeat, _do not_ engage him. I have military personnel en route to the city."

Silver looked up to the monster again, and saw that he had been angered by the interruption. "Uh... it might be a little late for that..."

"You don't know what you're up against, Silver. Get away from him, I'm begging you."

Silver squinted in disgust, "Have you forgotten who I am?"

"He has the chaos emeralds! You have to-!"

Mephiles's sheer energy compromised the power grid, and with it, Silver's communicator. Everything in the area shut down, and in combination with the ominous clouds above, it made for a pitch-black scene. Mephiles made a quick gesture, destroying all the electronic signs around the city, setting nearly every building on the main road alight with flames. This served as the only source of light for the battle, as screams of confusion echoed throughout the world. Silver's heart had already dropped from those last words Shadow told him.

With another swipe of the air, Mephiles sent down splashes of black muck, some of which landed in a circle around Silver and Blaze. The heroes pressed their backs together as the goo transformed into several minions, surrounding them with an array of threats.

"I know you're mad at me," Silver assured his partner, "but I'm really gonna' need you for this." Blaze said nothing, and drew her extendable staff from her cloak. The albino pursued, "I don't know how, but he's got the emeralds."

The fire-cat surveyed the site, and tightened her grip on her staff as she prepared for combat. Pure, primitive adrenaline began flowing through her body. Gritting her teeth, she hissed, _"You're a fucking idiot."_


	17. Chapter 17

Blaze lunged at the enemies with her staff as Silver sent some others flying, and while the duo made quick work of their foes, more and more were being created. Soon, the next set of anomalies converged on them like a dense fog, prompting immediate action. Blaze wound up, and took a few steps toward Silver, who had just downed a small group of hostiles in front of him. Without warning, she swung her staff with immense force directly at Silver, who only managed to duck at the last moment. Blaze connected with three of the enemies at once, who were just about to grab the hedgehog from behind.

The albino flashed her a look of disbelief, which was returned with one of dismissive determination. A few more encounters ensued, one of which culminated with Blaze sweeping Silver's legs out from under him as two foes closed on him, and then disposing of them in one swift motion. Silver struggled to regain his balance after hitting the ground so hard. "Uh... care to explain _that_ one?" he asked, rubbing the back of his head.

"Care to explain why a clone of you is destroying the city?" Blaze hissed.

"If I knew, it wouldn't be happening, now would it?" Silver scoffed.

The fire-cat's spiteful eyes focused on him with precision as she raised her staff, "Use that tone with me _one more time_ , and so help me-"

Silver groaned, pushing her threat aside. He turned to his true adversary, who was still suspended above, and called to him, "Okay, listen here, Muffles..."

The darker hedgehog scowled, "My name is _Mephiles_ , and I would advise you to refer to me as such. I have returned to bring this world to its knees-"

Silver let out an exaggerated yawn, "Yeah, whatever, Muffin. Look, I don't care who you are, why you're here, or even why you look like me. All I know is that you've got some things that belong to me, and I'm about to kick your ass until you give 'em back."

"Hmph. Suit yourself, mortal." Mephiles reared back, and sent forth what seemed like twice as many minions minions than before.

Silver prepared himself for combat again, and leaned toward his partner. "Blaze, you go make sure everyone's getting out of here. I'll handle this."

Just as that last word was spoken, Blaze stepped forward, and sent a wave of flames over the sea of foes, disintegrating most of them. Her eyes cut back to the albino, " _Stop me_."

Silver was taken aback for a moment, but found inspiration in her resolve. As more enemies rained down, Silver lifted one in the air with his powers, and used it as a platform to propel himself toward the villain. He attempted a powerful strike, but before he could even get close, Mephiles stopped him in mid-air with his own newfound telekinesis. The baffled hero was thrown like a dart at the closest facade, and did well to adjust himself so that the point of impact occurred below his head.

Silver caught himself before falling to the sidewalk, but winced as a twinge shot through his shoulder. He tried to go forth, but the intensity of the pain forced him to his knees for a moment. He looked up, and saw that another set of minions were closing on him. "Blaze!" he cried, clutching his injured clavicle.

The fire-cat sprinted over, and heaved more flames at the anomalies until they were all defeated. Just as the duo were regrouping, Mephiles fired several rounds of energy blasts from his hands, which were frantically dodged. Silver and Blaze were left panting and separated - one on either side of Mephiles, who descended to their level.

"Fatigued? Already?" The low voice mocked them.

The albino gritted his teeth, "Don't you know who I am? I don't _get_ tired." Fueled by defiance, Silver dashed toward the imposter, and their telekinetic attacks canceled one another. Blaze then approached the villain, who reached back to strike her, but only managed to hit her arm, sending her staff to the ground. The cat took this in stride, and delivered a powerful kick to the back of Mephiles's head. This staggered him enough to allow Silver to lift him high in the air, and send him face-first into the pavement.

For all that seemed to accomplish, Mephiles proved it to be insignificant by melting into the cracks the crash created in the road, and reforming again as if nothing had happened. Silver was befuddled, but still managed to grasp Mephiles again, and send him flying into a nearby building with all the force he could muster. The albino then suspended every car, sign, and loose piece of debris in his vicinity, and hurled all of it toward the antagonist at once. The impact of this caved the base of the building in, and within seconds, it had collapsed on top of Mephiles as well.

Silver and Blaze looked to one another, and then back to the burning pile of scrap that had become of their adversary. They met in the middle of their fragmented stage for curtain call, and together, surveyed the sheer destruction that their final act had caused. The crumbs of buildings pouring into the street shook the city as hard as the death-like silence shook reality. Indeed, that was the quietest the world had ever been.

* * *

 **A/N: Hey everyone! Sorry this took so long to get out, but I've been dealing with a combination of schoolwork and sickness. Good news is, plot-wise, we're almost out of the first chapter of the original SFTL. Bad news is, life's just so crazy right now, I can't really promise anything in regards to updates for this at the moment. I'm writing when I can, haha.**

 **As always, reviews are greatly appreciated, and I hope you all are enjoying the re-write so far!**


	18. Chapter 18

In what seemed like the aftermath of the ordeal, Silver made a rehabilitative gesture, placing his arm around Blaze's shoulders. He whistled, "We've got some _major_ cleaning up to do..."

 _"Get away from me."_ The feline demanded as she sent him stumbling back with a shove. Before any sort of plea or argumentative stance formed, Silver's miserable self-fulfilling prophecy came to light. Several tentacles shot out from the pile of rubbish, sending brick and scrap metal flying through the blackened sky. The world slowed as Mephiles pierced Blaze's chest, and Silver could only watch in disbelief as his friend's initially resistant body fell limp. The daggers were retracted, and the fire-cat plunged to her knees.

 _"Blaze! No!"_ Silver's horrified screams were but an attraction for Mephiles, who flew out of his grave to confront the hedgehog. As one would expect, when Silver looked to the architect of his torment, he could only see himself. His only consolation came when the image of it all blurred from his tears, just as the tentacles seized his body.

Mephiles pulled Silver in close, and reveled in his pain as he coiled around the albino's neck. "Foolish mortal. You will no longer be a disturbance to me." the villain assured the hero, squeezing every last particle of life out of him. Silver didn't bother to fight back, for no fate could have been worse than survival at that point.

Even yet, Silver's wish would go unrealized, as Blaze found enough strength to carry on, and thrusted her staff through Mephiles's back. A demonic screech was followed by Silver's release, as Mephiles dealt with the supernatural forces acting upon him. An orange glow encased the antagonist, and with one final defiant shout, he appeared to burn to embers. It wasn't until then that the skies reverted to grey, and at last, order was restored so that disorder could follow. Silver was unfazed by the triumph, and dashed over to his partner.

"Blaze! Please, please speak to me..." he pleaded, wrapping her blood-stained body in his arms. He began to sob once she didn't answer, "Please don't leave me, Blaze. Don't leave me. I love you, I love you so much." His tears trickled onto her cheeks as her eyes grew unfocused and rolled back. "Oh, no. No, no, no, no, _no!_ " Silver pressed his forehead to hers, gritting his teeth, unable to articulate any further objection. He could only whimper and mourn as he felt Blaze fade away; it took the sight of his own hand painted with her blood to ensure him that this was indeed his greatest failure. So much was the scene that changed the course of history: a weeping hedgehog, his lost love, and seven marred chaos emeralds, all touched by the darkest of evil.

* * *

Shadow was the first to approach Silver after that dreadful night passed. Solemn glances were exchanged at the albino's front door before the elder entered without a word. He examined Silver's bare torso, which was braced at his shoulder, "What happened there?"

Silver refused to make eye contact, and continued on toward his living room. "Collarbone."

Shadow nodded and sighed, "I guess you know she didn't make it..."

 _"Of course she didn't."_ was the spiteful reply, quite different from what was expected. Silver sat down, and ran his hand over his face, muffling his disturbed voice. "She died in my arms..."

The ebony one wandered over to a window, holding fast to his composure. "I know you're in pain, Silver. But we have to remain focused. The chaos emeralds are-"

"How could you even say that?"

Those words froze Shadow for a moment. He turned around, "Silver, listen-"

"Don't _'listen'_ me." the albino's tone grew forceful, " _It's over_. Blaze is gone, the emeralds are ruined, and I'm done. I'll never be able to show my face again, and I don't want to."

Shadow showed his teeth, taking a few steps toward the lighter one. "So that's it, then? You're just gonna' go into hiding?"

"Did I stutter?"

"I don't know who the hell you think you're talking to, but _drop it._ I didn't raise you to _quit-_ " he was cut off by muffled gasps and sniffles, and sighed once more. He sat across from Silver, "I don't know what you want me to say."

Silver's head shot up, revealing his swollen eyes and tear-stained muzzle. "I _want_ you to _leave me alone!_ "

Shadow stood again, and pointed a damning finger at his youth, "Don't you blame this on me! I told you to get out of there!"

"When did I ever blame _you?_ " Silver quizzed, matching the ebony one's stature. Tears continued to roll off his cheeks, "How did you know who that guy was, anyways? _What are you hiding from me?_ "

Shadow glared at the albino for some time before conceding, placing himself back on the couch. _"You really wanna' know, huh?"_

* * *

 **A/N: Another update, this time on Blaze's birthday! How to celebrate it? Kill her off! :D**

 **Ah, but seriously, the occasion motivated me to finish this chapter, lol. And obviously, this is far from the last of Blaze in the story. Wouldn't be much of a Silvaze if it was, now would it?**

 **I just wanted to take a second to say how much I love her; she's without a doubt my favorite fictional character of all time, and although most of my fics are Silver-centric, Blaze is my favorite character to write. :p Happy birthday to the fire princess!**


	19. Chapter 19

_"Fine."_ Shadow submitted with a scowl, "But just know that I never told you any of this for your own good, Silver. It all happened when you were too young to understand any of it."

"Just tell me the _truth_."

Shadow sighed, "It wasn't long ago - a god used to roam this world. His name was Solaris, and you probably haven't heard of him, because he stayed hidden all the time. He was basically - well, he _was_ a time god; it was said that he kept the past, present, and future in perfect balance. Now, a very long time ago, he actually had a shrine in a city called Soleanna, where people would pray to him. Nobody really knew if he was inside it or not, because the doors to it couldn't be opened.

"So then, one day, he was just gone. People went to pray, and the doors were open. They looked inside, and obviously found nothing, but a lot of people believed Solaris had left because he wanted to wander the Earth to - to kinda' take a break from everything. They believed he took the form of a Mobian, and stopped answering their prayers because he wasn't at the shrine anymore. And, as stupid as it sounds, they were actually right.

"So, around twenty years ago, he returned to Soleanna in his Mobian form. And - well, this is where it gets a little hazy for me - keep in mind that I've only been told these things. The people there were either pissed off that he had left them for so long, or a little curious as to whether he was actually Solaris or not, so they captured and released him to some scientists to do some experiments on him. Personally, I think someone in there tried to harness Solaris's power for their self, but nobody knows.

"Needless to say, it didn't go well. Big lab explosion, killed a lot of people; and somehow, Solaris was split into two beings. One of the halves was _Iblis_ , who was Solaris's power, and the other was _Mephiles_ \- who you've met - he was Solaris's conscience. We thought they might fuse back together so that Solaris could take over the world out of revenge, or something like that. In stepped your mother and I.

"We were supposed to either kill them or make sure they didn't kill everyone in their path. But when we got to Soleanna, they were actually fighting each other. And... I won't go too far into it, but we fought both of them, Iblis was taken out because he was the biggest threat, and Mephiles tried to absorb his power. He couldn't hold it, and the energy was released in an atomic-like blast that... well, it was what killed your mother."

Silver showed his fangs, "This doesn't make any sense! _Solaris?_ Why have I never heard about any of this?"

"The blast destroyed the city, too. Everyone who could've known about all of this is likely dead, except for me." Shadow's eyes trailed off, as he remembered the horrors of that night. He shook the memories off as quick as they came, "But anyways, I knew that Mephiles was severely wounded, but he escaped. I couldn't-"

 _"Wait."_ Silver fumed, "So you're telling me you knew he could come back? And you never _told me_?"

"Like I said, I kept all of this a secret from you _for your own good_ -"

"Oh! Yeah, definitely!" The albino's gestures were as exaggerated as his tone as he stood up, "Because everything's totally _good_ now, right?"

Shadow held fast to his calm demeanor, "Silver, you're a _telekinetic_. Your emotions are extremely profound, and when they're connected with something you really care about, they can rule your life. Your decision making becomes impaired. Had you known that Mephiles was involved in your mother's death, I can guarantee you that Blaze wouldn't be the only one dead right now."

Silver took a step forward, looking into Shadow's eyes behind a thin layer of moisture. "You could've trained me for this! You could've prepared me!"

"Yes, I _could've_." Shadow hissed, "And you would've become obsessed and spent your life circling the world to try and find him."

"Better than just waiting on him to come and kill everyone! Do you realize Blaze could still be _alive_ if you-?"

Shadow clenched his fists, "You're delusional if you think I'd willingly put all those people in danger. You need to quit acting like you're the only one who's ever lost someone. I doubt Mephiles would've ever come out of hiding without the chaos emeralds. Who's job was it to protect those?"

 _"Shut up!"_ Silver demanded, "If I knew how he got them, I'd tell you, but I don't. Why don't you explain to me why he looked like me? Why he had all of my powers?"

Shadow held his arms out, "Like I'm supposed to know? Look, let's not make this some interrogation. You wanted the truth, there's your damn truth." He stood, "Anything else you'd like to know, your highness?"

"Tell me about Blaze's staff." Silver walked over to a table, and picked it up to show Shadow. "It was the only thing we hit him with that he couldn't take, and I don't get why."

"How am I supposed to know? I didn't issue it to her."

"Whatever." Silver grumbled, taking another look at the weapon before stowing it away again. "Just take me to the chaos emeralds."

The elder acquiesced with a nod, and started toward the door. "It's definitely not good."

As they were walking down the driveway, a figure jumped out from behind some bushes, and tried to attack Silver. It was a dark male fox, much taller than either hedgehog, who had his hands wrapped around Silver's neck. As they struggled, the fox cursed, "You bastard! My wife and kids... were killed because o' you!"

Shadow assisted Silver in prying the fox loose, and as Shadow pinned him to the ground, he could only return Silver's horrified expression with a sympathetic drop of his head. The fox's body continued to worm and writhe until he realized he couldn't escape, and began sobbing into the pavement. Silver refused to accept the reality he had thrown himself into, and continued walking toward the headquarters without a word.

* * *

 **A/N: Hey everyone! I'm sorry it's been a while; this chapter is important, though, because it explains the differences between this story and Sonic 06. I changed a lot of things, but it's all for a reason!**

 **I also wanted to take a sec to say that I probably wrote more in 2016 than I ever have before, and that was in large part because of this fic and your support! You guys probably didn't see a lot of the rest of it, because I was either writing on Tumblr or for Inuyasha (often both), but still. Thank you all for keeping me going, and keeping me writing, because my ultimate goal is to become an author and write for a living. Maybe it'll never happen, but I wasn't doing myself any favors by going three, four months without writing anything, haha.**

 **Here's to a great new year!**


	20. Chapter 20

Silver sat in his living room with a clenched fist against his cheek, after several hectic days. He had come to accept the circumstances: Blaze was dead. Her funeral was taking place later that day. The seven chaos emeralds had been rendered useless by Mephiles's dark energy, so much that they all appeared a charcoal black. Only one emerald held any hope of resurrection, as a small spec of purple light still emitted from one of its facets. Still, Shadow deemed it highly unlikely that it would ever function again. Hundreds were killed in the altercation, symbolized by the remains of buildings scattered through the middle of the city. As Silver looked outside his window, he found armed guards patrolling his yard, placed there by Shadow in case anyone else decided to take their frustration out on the albino. Indeed, Silver was trapped behind marble bars; his mansion a prison of sorrow, his uncertainty his straitjacket.

His somber gaze shifted to his television, where he found a shameful portrait of himself. There he sat, behind a table with a microphone shoved in his face, publicly answering the same questions he had asked himself since that fateful night. To the dismay of most, his answers hadn't changed much. The news station's simple headline stood out on the screen: _Silver Speaks_. His eyes were swollen and unfocused, his voice filled with emotion as he spoke.

One reporter asked: _"Is it possible that this disaster could have been prevented?"_

Silver watched himself speak through a knot in his throat, _"If it could've, I definitely don't know how."_

 _"But, if I could just clarify, you are taking full responsibility for these events?"_

 _"I don't have much of a choice, now do I?"_

Silver scoffed at the response, and in a desperate plea for relief, he snatched a pill from the table in front of him. He downed it with a swig of water, wincing as it grazed his pharynx. He looked to the television again, beyond his appearance, and saw himself with a tortured conscience - as if the screen were but a mirror.

The channel revealed him choking on his words as his head dropped, _"I... I just want to make things right again. I'd give anything to make it right... I'm so sorry-"_ Silver's voice trailed away from the microphone between sobs, and he latched his hands onto his head, _"I'm so, so sorry..."_

A female newscaster's voice cut in: _"Obviously a side of Silver The Hedgehog we've never seen before. Our hero seems to be a defeated man, and only time will tell if he will resume his position..."_

Silver had heard enough, and without a hint of hesitation, he flew to the television and shattered it with a punch. Even as the glass cracked and fell, though, the albino's demise continued to be narrated. In a haze of anger, he threw more and more fists at his agony until silence was assured. And when he was satisfied with the results, between heavy breaths, he grunted as he threw the television across the room with his telekinesis.

Silver dropped to his knees, and couldn't help but feel regret when his gaze set upon the blood trickling from his knuckles. As if he had anything else to feel, of course. As if he deserved to feel anything else. He stretched his fingers out, wincing as the cuts stung his very core. It wasn't long before Gini wheeled into the room.

"Is everything alright - _oh my!_ " the bot gasped as he surveyed the scene. He disappeared for a moment, and returned with a roll of bandages, "Here, sir, wrap your hands in this."

"Gini, I think I'm going insane."

The servant tilted his monitor, "Sir, I realize the circumstances, but you mustn't continue to-"

The hedgehog snatched the bandages, "Do we have _any_ security video from that night?"

"What night, sir?"

Silver swallowed hard as he bound his fingers together, "The last time Skye was here."

"I don't believe it's expired. Let me check." Several files flew across Gini's screen, until he displayed around a dozen tapes. He sped the surveillance up until Skye was first seen, when the bedroom camera became blacked out. Silver carefully looked over a few of the shots, until he saw himself ascend the stairs. The albino touched the kitchen camera to enlarge the picture, and Skye walked into the frame soon after. He could tell something was troubling her by the way she walked. He saw her pour two glasses of wine, and after a quick look behind her, she reached into her back pocket. From it, she removed a powdered substance, mixed it into one of the drinks, and scurried out of the shot.

Silver's head dropped, and he pressed his palms to his temples, for another piece to the horrid puzzle had fallen in place. _"Oh, no... no, no, no..."_

* * *

As one would imagine, Blaze's funeral was a somber affair. A large crowd had gathered far outside of the city to pay their respects. A small field was where Shadow insisted her burial take place, next to an ancient oak tree, where he had often taken her to train. Silver had the opportunity to aid in carrying the casket, as per regulation, though he respectfully declined. Instead, he sat on the front row of the chairs that had been laid out, his head in his hands, occasionally kneading the bandages around his knuckles.

Silver didn't dare look up as Shadow and company lowered Blaze into the ground; he couldn't bear it. He only focused on the magnificent oak, whose trunk seemed to be as wide as the crowd. Silver followed it with his eyes all the way to the heavens, where perhaps he could see his best friend again. It only seemed right, then, to believe that the oak had rooted itself in the underworld, where Silver felt he'd soon reside if nothing changed. He found himself internalizing questions to the oak, who had likely played host to more stories than any author could ever spin. He found this to be futile, though, for he could never comprehend such permanence. Its beautiful branches extended far beyond the uncertain future, anyway.


	21. Chapter 21

"Gini, do some research for me, is it really possible to time travel with the chaos emeralds?"

"Um," the robot stopped in the doorway of the dark room in which Silver resided, "I'm certain it is, but why do you ask?"

Silver sat his tools to the side, and leaned over his work bench with a sigh. He brought his hands to his face, "Just figure out how it's done, okay?"

"Wouldn't Shadow know? Why not ask him?"

The albino glanced down to his incomplete work, and then to the black and purple suit - once meant for Blaze - hanging on his far wall. "Because he knows what I'm gonna' do."

"Sir, I am programmed to follow your every order, but I must say that this seems extremely dangerous. From what I can gather, only those who have complete mastery of chaos energy are able to time travel. And even for them, it takes incredible concentration, likely requiring specific training to achieve. Which is, again, why I would suggest consulting Shadow-"

 _"Gini."_ Silver looked up, but then fell into his hands again, "Oh, who am I kidding? This is hopeless..."

"Is there really still a functional emerald?"

"Barely," the albino admitted, "we're giving it time to see if it'll fully clear up. Problem is, I don't have time."

"Or, perhaps you _do_ , and you're afraid of what you're going to do with it?"

Silver grinned, "I didn't ask for a therapy session."

 _"I'm afraid you still need one."_ Gini mumbled, following Silver's eyes to the far wall again. He glided over to the albino, and displayed a few pages on his monitor. "This is what I've found."

"Read it to me, if you don't mind," Silver replied, picking his tools back up, "I'm trying to get this done."

"And that is?"

"I'm putting your software into this little watch thing," the hedgehog flashed the microchip in his hand to the bot, "just in case of emergency; I don't wanna' lose you. Plus, it looks like one of those old phone-watches. That's pretty cool, right?"

"I am also programmed to agree with you on cosmetic matters that you deem acceptable, sir."

Silver chuckled, "Damn right you are."

* * *

That night, Silver packed a few items into a knapsack, and set out for the headquarters. He flew through the misty air with great haste, hood draped over his head, hoping that no one would see him. It was hard enough to escape his own house without his guards noticing. As he landed outside his destination, he looked to his wrist, and saw the time flash on his latest invention. Eleven at night; Shadow was surely at home. Silver tapped the screen, and spoke with a determined kick in his voice: "Gini, this thing work?"

A green line appeared across the watch, and moved with the bot's voice, "It appears so."

The albino smirked, admiring his own work. "Nice. Stand by, bud."

With that, Silver placed his identification card against the scanner on the door's lock, and entered the building with cautious steps. All the emeralds were still under study at the headquarters, so Silver was certain they would be there. Indeed, he found them on the table in Shadow's office, all laid out in a line. He gravitated to the purple emerald - the last one with any positive energy - and shoved it in his bag. He sighed as he looked to the other gems, all as tainted as his thoughts, and ran a hand over face as those harsh memories rolled through his mind.

 _"Silver,"_ a deep, raspy voice creeped in from the doorway.

The albino turned to Shadow, and shook his head as he approached him. "You're not gonna' stop me."

The elder peered into Silver's eyes, and nearly shuddered at the deep pain they expressed. "I'm not trying to."

Silver held the emerald out with a trembling hand, "Then show me how to time travel."

"It's not something that can be taught," Shadow remarked, "you just have to know."

"That's not helping at all."

"I will say this," the darker one narrowed his gaze, "you can't use your head for this. You gotta' let go. To leave the present, to bend time itself," Shadow pushed a finger into Silver's chest, "it takes _that_. You can't think, you have to _do_."

The albino rolled his eyes, "Right. I'll remember that-"

Shadow held his arm out, refusing to let the younger one pass. "Silver, please just promise me one thing. If you actually do it, and you end up in the past, _don't stay there_. Just grab Blaze, and return to the present. Okay?"

Silver's eyes were pulled to Shadow's once more, "Do you really think I can do this?"

Shadow smirked, glancing down at the gem. "I'd never bet against you." He placed a hand on Silver's shoulder. "Mephiles is likely still out there, you know. Be careful."

"Same to you."

"And please, come home in one piece."

"That's the plan."

In an unexpected gesture, Shadow pulled Silver close, and wrapped his arms around him for a hug. At first, Silver was stiff in his grasp, but soon released that tension and returned the affection. Shadow's voice was tattered with emotion, his eyes filling with regret:

 _"I love you, son."_

After a short walk to Blaze's burial site, beneath the immaculate oak tree, Silver fell to his knees at her tombstone. He dug his nails into the soil, and created a small crater for the emerald to fit into just above the cat's resting place. The night breeze blew all his quills to one side, though he could not enjoy the soothing touch it provided. He gripped the fading emerald in his hand, and placed it closer to his late love.

"Blaze," Silver spoke aloud, fighting back tears, "I don't know if you can hear me, but I'm so sorry. I'm _so, so, so sorry_. I know you hate me. I do, too. If anyone deserves to be in the ground right now, _it's me_. But listen," he leaned over, pressing his forehead to the cold stone, and choked on the remainder of his desperate words. "I'm gonna' make it right, okay? I have a second chance, and I'm not gonna' waste it. _I love you_."

As his speech trailed off, his focus shifted to the gem in his hand. He meditated over it for some time, feeling the sole shard of energy course through his body. He felt it change the pattern of the wind around him, so that it circled him like a volt of vultures would helpless prey. It picked up speed, sending leaves and sticks twirling through the air, as if it wanted to distract Silver from his task. He pushed on, though, allowing the emerald's light to engulf his senses. He closed his eyes on the life he had been living, and opened his heart to the souls he had neglected. For the first time in many moons, Silver felt utterly cleansed.

A figure approached him from behind, but their words were but a distant mumble to Silver at that point. The albino felt the emerald begin to crack in his hand, so he knew he had to act fast. He gritted his teeth, pushing aside everything he had been through in the weeks prior, and growled:

 _"Chaos..."_

"Silver!" The figure's arms wrapped around Silver's chest. He knew that touch.

 _"Control!"_

The two of them vanished from the present, calming the wind as the world returned to a blissful lull. The blackened shards of the chaos emerald disintegrated, leaving only a shining purple fragment resting in one of the many holes Silver had dug.


	22. Chapter 22

**Ok guys, I just wanted to give a better explanation for why this story is kinda dead (for the handful of people who actually care, at least).**

 **First off, the only reason I really started writing this was because I wanted to get back into the groove of writing. I had just finished my first year of college, and I hadn't written anything of note in over a year - and even when I did it was sporadic af - so I wanted to do this to get back into practice by writing on a weekly basis. This fic allowed me to do that, and it worked, because I wrote more than I ever had during the year I started this fic. It really helped a lot, in terms of teaching myself to balance everything in my life. Thus, I feel like this fic has already served its purpose.**

 **Yes, I am massively disappointed with how much of a failure this story ended up being. I'm not sure if it just wasn't that interesting, or if the writing was too bland, if the short chapters weren't good, or why people just kinda dropped off reading this. Maybe it wasn't any of that, but when that kind of stuff happens so consistently to me, I can't help but blame myself in some way.**

 **This fic sent me into a spiral of depression that I'm only just now starting to get out of. It made me question everything about my writing - even down to my creativity, even down to my ability to write a coherent story, let alone one that's interesting. I would say, "oh, my writing's just boring", "I can't come up with stories that are interesting enough to keep people reading", "maybe everyone just reads my stuff because it isn't riddled with spelling/grammatical mistakes", stuff like that.**

 **I still believe some of those things. And that's because, for the entirety of this past summer, all I did was criticize myself. I looked back at everything I had ever written, and I felt the same way about all of it. I felt like I had completely wasted the past five years writing fics, because none of them were actually good - especially this one. I felt that every day. And I hated myself for it. It's hard to shake it off when you feel that every single day for months on end. I also think it was a culmination of everything I had previously felt about my writing and just didn't show it, but I digress.**

 **I know this fic alone wasn't responsible for me feeling that way for so long. There were lots of little things that built up, both on here and in real life, but I know this story was the origin of it all. All I remember is publishing another chapter, getting no feedback for like the third straight time (I think I even lost a follow or something), and instead of staying positive like I used to for so long, I let it get to me. And it got me bad. Every time I look at this fic now, I kinda start feeling all those things again. So that's why I haven't bothered with it - for the sake of my own sanity.**

 **Yeah, yeah, I know. Just because my story doesn't get a lot of hits/isn't popular doesn't mean it's not good... I'm writing for a small corner of a large fandom... my fics aren't as relatable as a high school fic... you should write because you love to write... blah blah blah, I've heard it all. But when it happens so often, you can only take so much before you start blaming yourself for a lack of sustained readers. And that's where I've been for a while.**

 **In addition to that, I've been working on different fics lately. I'm putting all my efforts toward one in particular, and that should take me a good year or two to complete. After that, I still have more fics I want to write, as well as real novels if I can ever build up the confidence again. I just don't have time to come back and work on a story that makes me feel sad whenever I look at it.**

 **So yeah, I just wanted to provide some closure for this fic, in case anyone was hanging around waiting to see if it'll ever be updated again. If there actually is anyone like that, I apologize, but it won't be coming back. Yes, SFTL still needs a rewrite at some point, but it won't be this.**

 **I don't know if I'll delete this story yet, but it definitely won't be continued. If anyone wants to know where I would've taken this, or how it would've ended, feel free to message me or something. I had everything planned out, it was just a matter of writing it down/working it into the story. It was gonna end up being a lot different from SFTL, I know that for sure.**

 **Anyways, I'm sorry again for keeping anyone in limbo with this. It's over, and I'm on to bigger and better projects. I just hope they turn out better than this one did. Thank you to anyone out there who was still waiting around for this, you don't know how much I appreciate your support. I just can't continue it anymore.**

 **Thanks for reading this mess, lol. Love you all.**


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